The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-01-15

out God In the World.
Is Sin IIereditary?-Dd Adam introduce
sin into the world? Old Testament history
answers yes. The disobcdience of the pro-
genitor of the race is followed by an UNI
broken chain of transGrcSsiOn. The expert
cnce of nations and individuals attests the
fact, and Old Testament passages point in
the same direction, although not III US clear
| terms as the New.
THE LESSON.
The Offerings Tvs. 3-j.--At an indefinite
time after the fall we read of two sacrifices,
offered by the first brothers, which they
seem to have brought without divine COM
mand, of their own free will. So far as the
Scriptures are concerned, this is the first
clear indication of sacrifice. Some have
thought that the skins with which God
| clothed our first parents We're taken from
animals offered in sacrifice. This is pure
conjecture. \ new relation now exists
between God and man. Man is banished
| from Eden. He feels the need Of approach
| ing God with n gift-of securing an atone
ment This is one of the most widespread
usagcs of mankind. One of the most gen
eral terms for Offering is used in the record.
Hence we cannot judge whether it was dis
tinctly sin-oifcring, for the technical
terms are not found until later, in the book
of Leviticus but sin offerings undoubtedly
existed from the earliest period of the race,
although in the booI, of Leyiticus the word
used here (mincha) is applied to boodless
offerings iii, /, !, 5, etc.. 1t is not stated
why God did not accept the Offering of Cain,
| while he accepted that of Abel 1t does not
seem to have been on account of the blood
less character of the git, as some affirm al
though the shedding of blood was an essential
| factor III the divncly instituted system of sac
rifices for sin LEV. iv; Heb. tx, 22). Cain
| brought from the fruits of the ground for
rs husbandman he had nothing else to
bring. 1t is evident from the narrative
that the spirit with which he came was not
pleasing to God. God did not accept Gains
Offering; he did accept Abel's. Instead of
yielding to the divine will with humility,
Cain is very angry. In such state of mind
his sacrifice could not be acceptable; and i'll
this oldest account that is given Of sacrifice
we see that God makes the same high de
mantls that the heart of the slpplant should
be right as in the writings Of the prophets.
In this passage, sacrifices which are brought
as mere form, while the heart is far from
God, are an abomination to him prov.
xxi, 2,.
God saw lurking in Gains heart envy and
murder. He seems to have regarded him
with something of the Same adherence that
he did Isreal in the time of Isaiah lisa. /, 15)
-"And when We spread forth your hands,
| will hide my eyes from you: yea, when We
make many prayers, | will not hear; your
hands arc full of blood
The Warning to Cain Tvs. 6,0.-But God
is merciful to Cain in calling him to ac-
count, in reproving him and in still offer
ing the hope of pardon and favor IF thou
docst well, shalt thou not be acceptedH'
Revised Version. Yet God gives him
warning of the danger which threatens
him. IF thou doest not well, sin couch
eth at tho door CReviscd Version)-as a
hungry lion waiting to spring upon his
: prey-"and unto thee is its desire, but
thou shouldst rule over it" Revised Yer
sion, margn). Here he is represented as
master of his own heart, as able to rule
over this VIII hc0ft-passion-an keep
him out. rA..r i, .. !,rl in this a response
biity for ~. salt. ca might not after
ward ur.r IS an excurr t'..t he was beside
himar =, ,.yh rage, for il yi,ling to sin he
yc,G, his own will tjan4 J, IA.
il e. Field ", o. he more natural
ren ..... seems to be th:t of The margin in
the -. Il Version, which is supported by
the LOO ,l"i'nt aut&o.t. iIs l,hc Septuagint,
Samcli -, ,r.i,: oul Nulgatc)-'and
Cain sal 10 ~ Is brother, Let US go
into the field; .ni |, came to pass when they
were in the field that Cain rose up against
Abel his brother and slew him.
.,,t ,ig
that Cain had no conception Of Gods pres
ence everywhere, of which the psalmist
speaks so clearly Q's. 1880. He appears to
have thought that by thus going into the
field he could commit hat dreadful deed,
of which his heart was full, without Gods
seeing him.
The murder Tvs. Q, 10Y This view seems
to be sustained by the following verses
When God puts the Question: where is
Abel thy brother:n he replies, Il know
not; am / my brothers keeper" This
shows that he does not realize that God must
know what he has done. At the same
time it bctrays the spirit of the murderer
in its extreme sclGshness. The selfishness
manifested by priest and Levite when they
saw the man wounded, in the parable of the
good Samaritan, and passed by on the other
Slilt II llle SiIliiJ VI 'dli witch w III StOOp
short Of nothing when self interest stands
in the way
In almost dramatic language God is repre-
sented us asking Cain What hast thou
done2" and as saying, as we would trans
late the passage, "IIark. thy brother blood
is crying unto me from the ground
The Punishment Tvs. II, l2),---It might
seem here, as in the case of Adam. that the
chief punishment was inflicted by God; and
that if his hand had not been laid upon
Cain he would have had some comfort in
life. The fact that the ground will not
yield its strength is not the worst part of
his punishment, or that he is condemned to
be n fugitive and wanderer. Like Orestes
in classic story, he is doomed to be pur-
sued by the furies of his own conscience.
He has opened the door of his heart wide to
the demon who was lurking there. He can
find no rest as he passes from land to land
and as new scenes greet his eyes, for his soul
will be filed with remorse for murdered
brother. Well may he cry, MY punish
ment is greater than | can bear ", 49,.
The margin of the Revised Version sug-
geSts the reading, my iniquity is greater
than can be forgiven" The Hebrew word
for punishment and iriquity is Identical.
Iniquity involves punishment, not merely
as inflicted by God, but as that with which
4 Al.